Sticky Toffee Pudding

I don’t consider myself to be much of a dessert person but if there is one item I simply can’t resist on any menu it is Sticky Toffee Pudding. Devilish sweet and decadent it puts me on a sugar high and a huge grin is plastered on my face for the rest of the day. It makes me happy! In restaurants I’ve had mediocre puddings as well as very good ones, and hands down the best store bought product is Cartmel’s. It was only a matter of time for me to start tinkering in the kitchen.

After some “failed” attempts (no flops, but the desserts lacked the “oomph” factor, I came across Ed Baines’ Best of British cookbook, which I’ll be reviewing in the next few weeks. There was no question whether I was going to prepare this recipe. It was a done deal. One ingredient that I never cooked with before was black treacle. It had a familiar taste. Suddenly I remembered where I tasted something similar. It was back in the good old days when I made caramel and ended up burning the sugar. Yep, that’s right. Burnt sugar. It’s used mostly in puddings to give them dark and rich flavours.

The result was divine. It just is a perfect recipe.

Aah… at last… my life is complete.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Serves 6Preparation: 15 mins Cooking: 25 mins

The Sponge

100g (3½oz) chopped dates

2.5ml (½ tsp) vanilla extract

35g (1oz) softened butter, plus extra for greasing

65g (2oz) Demerara sugar

1 egg, beaten

5ml (1 tsp) black treacle

75g (2½oz) self-raising flour

2.5ml ((½ tsp) bicarbonate of soda

60ml (4 tbsp) milk

The Sauce

25g (1 oz) butter

75g (5 tbsp) dark soft brown sugar

120ml (4fl oz) double [heavy] cream

15ml (1 tbsp) black treacle

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4.

In a small bowl, soak the dates with the vanilla extract in 100ml () boiling water for 5 minutes, then drain and mash.

Cream together the butter and sugar. Mix egg into the butter mixture, then beat in the treacle.

Fold in one third of the flour and all the bicarbonate of soda. Add half the milk and repeat, continuously adding the milk and flour until it is all used. Then stir in the mashed dates. Spoon the pudding mixture into buttered ramekins and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

To make the sauce, put the butter, sugar and half the cream in a pan. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 5 minutes until the sugar has dissolved. Stir in the black treacle, turn up the heat and let the mixture simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, stir occasionally. Remove from the heat and stir in the remainder of the cream.

To serve, turn the puddings out on to a plate. Pour the toffee sauce over the top.

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Sticky toffee pudding is one of my favourites – I remember having the Woollies version back home many years ago and falling in love. I make an apple-caramel pudding which is similar, but have never attempted my own sticky toffee pudding. Isn’t black treacle somethign else? What I found it reminded me of were those black-wrappered Wilson’s toffees!!

Hi, I was wondering if this recipe would work if you just put the whole mixture in one oven dish instead of individual ramekins? Its doubtful but i want to make a sticky toffee pudding for a meal im goin to but i dont have any ramekins…

Alex: You can bake the mixture in a big dish and after the allotted cooking time, just check if it’s cooked in the middle by using a toothpick and seeing if it comes out dry. It might need to bake for a little bit longer. Personally, I would just use a teaspoon and have a nibble to test. No one will notice if you’re going to drizzle sauce over it.

Custard recipe: Just follow the instructions on the Bird’s custard container. LEVEL tablespoon measurements. If using and English recipe note that an Imperial pint is 20 fluid ounces. U.S. pint is 16 fl. ozs.

Made this recipe on Saturday. It was without doubt the nicest sticky toffee pudding I’ve had and even my partner (who usually can’t be persuaded to have dessert) had one. Thanks for the recipe and I can confirm it really easy to make. Btw didn’t have demerara sugar so used soft dark sugar for both parts of recipe, was delicious so not sure what difference that would have made.

I want to make sticky toffee pudding for a lunch at someone elses house, I will need to make it at home and then take it round to be heated up latet, what would be the best way to do it as I don’t want the sauce to spoil when re-heated

I have one more question for you. I’m just getting around to looking at the actual measurements of the ingredients and it seems like some pretty small amounts. Less than a cup of flour and only a quarter stick of butter? I know the recipe says it serves 6, though. Does the sponge increase in volume while cooking? I’m serving 4 and wondering if I should double the recipe. It just doesn’t seem like it will make a lot of batter.

The Greedy Gourmet

Welcome! My name is Michelle and I’m the author of this blog.

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